Diwali Desserts:15-Minute Shrikhand Is A Lifesaver

At Diwali, guests tend to come and go without warning and having something ready to feed them at all times can be a real strain on your mind. But if you’re looking for a quick fix that will be loved by everyone, this shortcut Shrikhand is a guaranteed crowd-pleaser.

Despite its unknown origin, Shrikhand is credited with its first historical mention in Western India. There are many variations of the dish that are popular in other states like Maharashtra and Punjab as well. Herdsmen who were travelling can be believed to have hung curd or yoghurt overnight for easy transport. It is unknown exactly how the dish came to be, however, the legend states it was hung overnight to make transportation easier and was then mixed with sugar and nuts to make it more palatable during the journey.

Also Read: Was Shrikhand Originally Created By Mahabharata's Bhima?

Traditionally Shrikhand is an overnight process where the curd is hung to remove all the moisture before being strained to make it smooth. This recipe takes advantage of greek yoghurt which is already fairly dense and smooth to speed up the process. If you have hung curd on hand, that’s ideal, but if not, keep in mind that Greek yoghurt has a slightly different flavour profile so it might be a little different from the traditional ones. 

It also makes use of icing sugar in place of granulated sugar which dissolves quickly and evenly into the yoghurt so you don’t have to spend a long time creating a sweet milk base as with some recipes. So if you’re in a bind and looking for a dessert that will save the day, this is the one for you.

Ingredients:

• 1kg hung curd/Greek yoghurt
• ½  tsp cardamom powder
• 10 - 15 strands of saffron
• 1 ½ cups chopped nuts
• 150 gms icing sugar
• 20 gms granulated sugar
• 3 tbsp mango pulp.

Method:

• Pour the curd into a big bowl and mix in the icing sugar.
• Pro tip: if you don’t have icing sugar, just blend some regular sugar into a fine powder.
• Add the saffron directly into the bowl and stir until the yoghurt starts turning yellow.
• Add the granulated sugar and continue stirring. 
• At this point, you can add the chopped nuts, or you can save them and pour them on top at the end. 
• Finally, add the mango pulp and distributed it equally throughout the mixture.
• Refrigerate for 15 minutes before serving.